Westinghouse Air Brake Company

Craig A Miller

Paul J Kettle, Jr

Vincent Ferri

Ralph Santoro, Jr

Robert J Jenets

Robert D Dimsa

Daniel J Wolf

Gregory S Balukin

Gary L Bailey

Joseph C Fray

An apparatus for determining and encoding the position of a control handle on a control stand of a locomotive or other railway transit vehicle utilizing a rotational, absolute encoder rigidly mounted adjacent to the axle to which the control handle is attached for pivotal motion, wherein a drive transfer means interconnecting the control handle and/or axle with encoder has a driving ratio that will permit full partial rotation of the control handle, which is typically less than 90 degrees, to rotate the encoder axle through a significantly greater rotational angle not exceeding 360 degrees, for the purpose of making fuller use of the sensitivity and resolution range of the encoder.

Apparatus for determining the absolute position of throttle dynamic

A locomotive throttle controller having a central processor unit which generates an analog signal for control of dynamic braking and includes an analog output driver which supplies the dynamic brake reference voltage. Such analog output driver includes a device for receiving an analog signal from the central processor unit and for converting such analog signal into an analog voltage signal. The analog output driver provides an arrangement for using such analog voltage signal to provide a regulated voltage output to a trainline which controls the dynamic braking. Incorporated into the output driver is a protection arrangement to protect it from reverse voltages on such trainline and an arrangement for protecting such output driver from excess current demand of the trainline.

Apparatus for and a method of generating an analog signal for control of

A current limiter for protecting a circuit at a predetermined driving voltage in excess of 50 volts which includes a plurality of PTC resistors connected in series, with a zener diode connected in parallel with each of the PTC resistors, and wherein each of the PTC resistors has a predetermined voltage capacity limit such that the total of the predetermined capacity limits of the PTC resistors exceeds the predetermined driving voltage, and each of the zener diodes has a zener voltage rating less than the predetermined voltage capacity limit of the individual PTC resistor connected in parallel therewith, and the total of the zener voltage ratings of the zener diodes also exceed the predetermined driving voltage.

High voltage d-c current limiter

Electrical connections are provided between coupled railway cars by a connector which mates with the industry standard brake line air hose connector. Electrical contacts may be imbedded in the mating surfaces of two joined connectors, or on modules attached to the standard connector. The valve which admits air to the air hose connector after it is joined to another connector may also actuate a switch which completes electrical circuits when the air valve is opened. In cases where end to end reversal of a railway car would cause interchange of circuits, a compensating switch is provided.

Imbedded electrical connector

In an electronically controlled RAILWAY locomotive throttle controller system having a central processor unit and a plurality of trainlines, such trainlines carrying binary voltage signals derived from corresponding binary signals in such central processor unit, a method for transmitting, for a group of said trainlines, herein numbered as NT, the binary voltage signals back to such central processor unit for diagnostic purposes. Such method includes the steps of applying, for the group of NT trainlines, their binary voltage signals to a frequency generator which will generate a signal having a frequency characteristic of such binary voltage signals. The frequency having a different value for every possible combination of binary signals from such trainlines. Transmitting such frequency signal back to the central processor unit and processing such frequency signal, in the central processor unit, to recover NT binary signals corresponding to such binary voltage signals on the trainlines in such group of trainlines.

Method and apparatus for feedback of trainline status to the central

An electrically controlled railway locomotive throttle controller including a power source connected to a central processing unit disposed on such locomotive. An encoder device is disposed on such locomotive for providing at least one electrical signal to such central processing unit. This at least one electrical signal being at least one of a signal indicative of a throttle position, a signal indicative of dynamic braking and a signal indicative of a reverser. A digital control device is disposed on such locomotive and is connected to receive a signal from such central processing unit to provide a digital control signal that controls the voltage being applied to a trainline. An analog control device is also disposed on such locomotive and is connected to receive a signal from such central processing unit to provide an analog control signal that controls a dynamic brake reference voltage being applied to such trainline.

Electronically controlled locomotive throttle controller including

A locomotive throttle controller having a CPU and output driver stage. Such CPU generates an analog voltage based on software logic and transmits to the output driver stage a signal indicative such analog voltage. Such output driver stage receives the signal from such CPU and uses it to provide an analog output voltage signal to a trainline which monitors and/or controls dynamic braking. The improvement therewith of an apparatus, for feeding back from such output driver stage to the CPU an analog signal indicating status of such trainline, comprising a device for obtaining a first analog voltage signal from a node which supplies current to such trainline. A voltage-divider for dividing the first analog voltage signal into a lower range to obtain a second analog voltage signal. A signal generating device connected to receive the second analog voltage signal and generate a third analog voltage signal. A voltage to current converter receives such third analog voltage signal and provides a regulated electrical current signal on an output terminal thereof. A conduction path between such output terminal and CPU is provided. A converter in such CPU converts the electrical current signal into a fourth analog voltage signal. A comparator in such CPU compares such fourth analog voltage signal with the analog voltage based on software logic and an error signal generator in such CPU generates and utilizes an error signal indicating inconsistency between such fourth analog voltage signal and the analog voltage based on software logic.

Apparatus for feedback of an analog signal used to monitor and/or

Apparatus and method are presented for a solid state relay module suitable for accepting low-level digital signals from a digital computer, and for providing on/off control of heavy electrical loads. The relay and its methods are intended for electrically hostile environments such that the relay may be exposed to spurious high voltages either on its input or on its load circuit. This relay and its methods are particularly intended for use in a locomotive throttle controller. The relay accepts low-level digital signals from a central processor computer in the throttle controller, and provide high-power digital signals to the trainlines which control the engine of the locomotive.

Digital output control device and method for operating

Apparatus for determining and encoding the position of a reverser control handle on a control stand of a locomotive or other railway transit vehicle of the type having a reverser control handle attached to an axle partially rotatable through a defined angle and including a pair of stationary signal transmitting sensor means, and a pair of sensor activators secured to the axle adapted for partial rotation with the axle, whereby one each of the pair of sensor activators are positioned proximate to one each of the signal transmitting sensor means, so that any partial rotation of the axle in one given will be sensed by one such signal transmitting sensor means to provide a second signal, and partial rotation of the axle in the opposite direction will be sensed by the other signal transmitting sensor means to provide a second signal.

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Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Craig A Miller